crossoverfic | Roanapur Knights: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Black Lagoon tale 2/?

Roanapur Knights - A Black Lagoon / BTVS x-over

Author: B.H. Ramsay

Email : drgonzo124@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: Characters appearing here belong to Mutant Enemy & Funimation Entertainment

Rating: Adult

Pairings(s) various

Spoilers: many

Dedicated to: The Shrine of Heroes...may she endure forever & Unclejoe who has great ideas save one ....Rock and Revy 4evah. Respect to Greydon Creed and Randomonium who helped make me better & of course Demona, because that which does not kill you makes you stronger.

Summary: YA Xander didn't go to Oxnard fic -- When The Lagoon Company's latest job takes a turn for the dark and deadly they'll need the help of an old friend, Good thing Xander is bringing Faith along for the ride. It means he might survive the wrath of Revy when Two Hands finally catches up to the Zeppo who got away.

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With Sister Yolanda's ominous warning to further unnerve Xander, he and Faith got a car back to town. Their destination was the headquarters of Hotel Moscow. When they arrived, a Russian male who looked vaguely familiar to Xander ushered them inside and walked them through the hallways toward Balalaika's office. Several people fell into step with them. Thus by the time they arrived at the Mafioso's inner sanctum; fully a dozen souls including Boris, Balalaika's number two, were waiting with them for the woman's eventual appearance.

"So who is this bally-lichen again?" Faith asked distractedly,

"Bal-al-ai-ka," Xander pronounced slowly. "She's head of the local branch of the Russian Mafia. She's dangerous."

"Xander, no offence, but demons, vampires, supernatural beasties-those things are dangerous. A thug with delusions of grandeur isn't high on my list of things to be concerned over."

Xander sighed. It was this attitude, he reflected, that most of the gang had nowadays. Still, Faith didn't know and, until someone educated her, she was entitled to her ignorance.

"Ever hear about a little thing called the Soviet-Afghan war?" Xander explained," I don't know what you were doing during it, but Balalaika and her team of Special Forces perfected their ability to fight and win World War Three in some of the most hellish hot spots of that war and when she decided that she wanted to be a Russian Mafioso they joined up with her. Any one of her team is better trained in warfare and combat then anyone you've ever met and combined with Balalaika leading them, they are a force to be reckoned with. I am a fan, Faithie, and I'd back you against some of the darkest hounds of hell, but if you are ever stupid enough to throw down with that woman, you better hope you kill her quick because otherwise she will destroy you."

The door to the room opened and Xander rose to greet a cigar-smoking woman who entered.

Faith was not expecting a statuesque blonde with long wavy hair and a tailored business suit that complimented her figure without being grotesque. A pea green military great coat hung around her shoulders and the smoke from her cigar hung around her. The only thing that marred her features was the series of scars that worked their way down the right side of her face, neck and chest. Now the Slayer knew why the Russian had been referred to earlier as 'Fry-face'. Faith had no doubt that use of that nickname in her hearing would be a monumentally stupid thing to do.

Faith immediately saw why Xander treated the woman with such respect. Her every movement and physical nuance bespoke of a trained killer. Faith might have been stronger and faster but the Russian was someone who was not to be screwed around with. She was a warrior and had chosen that destiny, embracing it with all her being right down to the core.

Balalaika smiled at Xander who shook her hand warmly greeting her in Russian.

Faith looked agog at him, The Xander Harris she knew ordered Chinese food by quoting numbers. Such a person should not be able to speak Russian, imperfect Russian to judge by the reactions of some of the men in the room including Balalaika herself who smiled indulgently even as she lectured him. "Dear, dear, Mister Harris," Balalaika said. "You haven't been practicing. You can't expect to make the Moscow women swoon if you speak like a uneducated peasant."

"I'm a product of the American educational system, Captain. It's a miracle that I can speak English."

"There's nothing wrong with you a few years serving in any decent military wouldn't solve, indeed it seems you've improved yourself tremendously since last we saw you."

"Except for the eye, you mean."

Balalaika laughed deeply. "Nonsense, such an injury adds character to a man's face. How do you young people say it -- Chicks dig scars."

"Miss Balalaika, may I introduce you to my partner, Faith. She is one of the Vampire Slayers I told you of and part of the reason I came out here."

Faith stuck out her hand. The Russian mob boss smiled coolly at her and shook her hand. Faith threw a little Slayer strength into the handshake but she was surprised that there was an answering level of power from the Russian's hand. As Faith looked in her eyes there was no sense of challenge just cool appraisal. Faith had the distinct impression she was being judged and weighed. When she released Balalaika's hand the woman didn't even give the impression her hand had been in any kind of discomfort.

"I've never met a real live urban legend before, I'm quite impressed." Balalaika said in her thickly accented English

"Well, I've never met a real live Russian mob boss before. I was expecting someone a little less Marlene Dietrich," Faith supplied.

The room went silent until Balalaika laughed sharply. "You have Xander's humour if not his pop cultural acumen. Dietrich was German."

"Sorry, she was the only foreign hottie I could think of."

"I shall take the implied compliment then." She turned to Xander. “So what brings you to our little slice of heaven? Did you really miss us that much?" Balalaika smiled and leaning back in her chair tapped the ash on her cigar expectantly.

"Faith and I are following the trail of human trafficking, specifically the enslavement and sale of young girls. You would have heard about these slaves because the people behind it will use this video as advertisement." He showed her the video feed and to her credit, Balalaika did not blink or shudder once.

"Is it real?" She asked when the tape was done.

"100 percent real, as far as we know."

"And you think the trail leads here to Roanapur. Why are you concerned about these girls in particular?"

"The group I hooked up with, I'm remembering how well informed you are so I won't bore you with the details, caused a bit of collateral damage while ending a threat to . . .well, to everything. We activated every Slayer in the world, every girl of a certain age range who ever had the potential to be a Slayer became one. Ever since then my team has been tracking these girls and offering training when we can and giving them support when they can't or won't come to us."

"So you think these girls are some more of your vampire killers?"

"One girl in all the world, she alone will fight against the darkness . . .or at least that was the way until my friends and I decided our way was better. Of course there are drawbacks. Imagine being a ninety pound weakling one day and waking up the next with . . . oh say, your level of combat skill and ability, but no training in how to use it."

Balalaika whistled while the normally taciturn Boris piped up. "Assuming there are Vampire Slayers among the group producing these movies why would they continue to allow themselves to be treated and controlled thus?"

Balalaika answered him, "If they were in slavery prior to acquiring the abilities Xander is discussing, then they may no longer care what they have become. Breaking a will, enslaving a mind, it takes time . . .the process is best done early and as completely as possible. However once the process is complete, the slave is owned completely. The enslaved will sometimes ignore opportunities to escape, fight back or otherwise free themselves. Thoughts of rebellion or violence against their captors become foreign to them."

Xander nodded. "We've already seen what happens to Slayers who were mentally unstable before being activated. One girl in particular is responding to treatment but since she is several times as strong as her doctors, and has been known to kill or maim anyone she regards as threatening, her progress is slow and she may never be completely healed."

"I'm still waiting to hear why you think I can help you and why I should even care." Balalaika asked him simply.

Xander sighed. "I think you want to help us because the Japanese are still pissed over a recent visit Hotel Moscow made to Japan. I didn't get all the details, but word is you guys burned a lot of bridges. Funny thing about the Yakuza is, not all the full body animal tattoos are for shock appeal, some of them are to let people know which demon lord they secretly owe their souls to, or what their level of magical training might be."

Balalaika raised an eyebrow and stared at Xander inquisitively. "You think that having Slayers as allies would counter a potential threat like that. I thought I taught you better skills in negotiation and tactics then that, Alexander." Balalaika sounded coldly pissed. "No, you are here for one reason only, you wish to declare war. You respect Hotel Moscow so you would prefer not to fight me since you know what that would entail, so you tempt me with the possibility of an alliance in the hopes that my response will make it easier for you to know how much chaos you can cause here before I'll be obligated to deal with you and your bodyguard."

Balalaika pulled a gun and slammed it down on the table. Faith was already moving when a swiftly worded command from Balalaika had most of the guns in the room pointed at her. Faith wondered if she should take it as a compliment.

"Now ask me again," Balalaika growled "...And this time don't even think of trying to con me. Ask me like you remember what Hotel Moscow is and who I am." Her fingers excitedly drummed the table close to the gun. Her meaning was clear, there would be only one chance for things to go right or else they would start going very, very wrong.

Xander looked at Balalaika and then sighed. "Captain I apologize, I've been amongst civilians for so long I forgot my manners." Xander then stared directly into her cold eyes and Faith watched as his familiar puppy dog expression fell away to reveal...someone else. "Faith and I are here for the girls. You and Hotel Moscow can benefit from this or you can get caught in the crossfire. Either way, I'm going to destroy the organization that would profit from the slave trade of these women and anyone and anything that gets in the way of that objective."

"So these girls are your friends, are they? Close are you, did you buy them Christmas gifts perhaps?"

"I consider Slayers friends but even more important, I consider anyone that would do something like this to a person an enemy and I intend to completely destroy that enemy. What the girls do with their freedom once they have it is their choice, killing their captors and destroying the organization controlling them is mine."

"So you are committed to going to war then, no matter what, even if it places you at odds with me, with all of Roanapur. You will still fight this battle."

"No, I will win this battle. I've gotten better since the last time I was here, a lot better."

Balalaika smiled, then laughed. "There is the real you. I've missed him, that other clownish person you constantly pretend to be is occasionally amusing but not the kind of person I'd want to fight beside or follow into battle."

The entire room breathed a sigh of relief. "That was fucked up," Faith snapped.

Boris laughed and muttered something in Russian that caused Balalaika to laugh while looking at Faith who looked at Xander expectantly.

Xander shrugged his shoulders. "It's nothing bad, you just remind them of someone who lives here is all."

"Good someone or bad someone."

"Lethally bad ass someone, but you'll meet Revy soon enough and you can decide for yourself."

"Sooner then you think. I passed Dutch a cargo running job. The recent storms in the area wiped out the supplies of an encampment and they contracted to Chang for supplies. He was running short and so came to me. I had the materials but not the manpower for delivery so I went to Dutch. The Lagoon left this morning and radioed in just before you arrived."

"What’s the connection?"

"Along with the usual staples they asked for, there was an additional request. Packets of whole blood, lots of it, type was not an issue."

"I'd say that was a confirmation," Xander replied grimly.

"I thought we were looking for Vampire Slayers not vampires?" Faith asked.

"Slayers need guarding even if they are slaves, the best way you can do that effectively would be to have something on hand that you know can take on a Slayer. Especially if she isn't trained to know how to fight back."

"I get it, the vampires watch the Slayers and the human guards control the compound."

"If your Slayers are guarded by vampires, would the vampires not simply feed upon the prisoners?" Boris asked

"They probably do from time to time to keep them weak, but Slayer blood is kind of potent and I'm sure nobody here needs to be told what happens if you leave an addict alone in a room filled with drugs."

"Still would this not imply that your quarry is rather knowledgeable about matters concerning your Slayers? They tracked them, located them, have corralled them and are using an effective force to guard them. Such knowledge should by itself narrow the field of possible suspects of who might be responsible."

"Oh, I have my suspicions," Xander said grimly "The list of people who would do this just to hurt the gang I run with these days is pretty hefty. I'll find out who was behind this before I leave here."

"Well you might have to ensure they survive Revy's wrath. It seems that your quarry ran afoul of Mr. Okajima for some reason. He became involved in an altercation during the transfer of cargo. A fight broke out and the Lagoon was forced to leave the area. Dutch didn't say much but some of what he mentioned jibes with what you have told me.”

"Well then let's get out there and kick some ass."

"As I said, the Lagoon is on its way back here. There was an injury on board and Dutch was quite clear that without quick and possibly divine intervention the victim might die."